Quick release anchor



Jan. 1,, 1963 5. J. MENO 3,07fi,096

QUICK RELEASE NCHOR Filed Nov. 4, 1960 Sianley Joseph Meno IJite States Patent Qfilice Patented Jan. 1, E953 3,071,096 QUICK RELEASE ANCHOR Stanley .Iosepla Meno, 110 Ratbbum Road, Toronto, ntario, Canada Fed Nov. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 67,340 4 Claims. (Cl. 114-208) The invention relates to an anchor for small craft and the like Which is adapted for dislodgement frorn underwater obstructions which may have fouled the same.

It is a general objective of the invention to provide an anchor of this type Which has an adequate hold to Withstand norrnal anchoring stresses but is adapted to release quickly When the recovery thereof is hindered by some underwater obstruction.

More specifically it is an objeet of the invention to pro vide an anchor having the foregoing aclvantages which is simple to operate and which is economical to manufacture.

A further and related objeetive is the provision of an anchor having the foregoing advantages which is easily stowable and oecupies relatively little space.

The invention seeks to provide the foregoing and other advantages which Will appear from the invention by the provision or" anehor for small craft and the like adapted for dislodgement from underwater obstructions and cornprising: an anchor shank; chain fastening means at one end of said shank; at least one ancl1or fiuke at the other end of said shank; said fluke being swingably mounted for swinging between a set-up position extencling at an angle rom said shank and a quick release position aligned there- With; and interlock means for maintaining said fluke in its set-up position under normal anchoring stresses and being releasable to perrnit alignrnent into its quick release position in response to abnormal stresses.

A preferred ernbodiment of the invention Will now be described With reference to the following drawings in which like reference devices refer to like parts thereof throughout the various views and diagrams and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of the anchor according to the invention showing the flukes in their set-up position;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the anchor o-f FIG- URE 1 shovvn With the flukes in the quick release position;

FIGURE 3 is a section of a detail of the anchor of IGURE l showing the flnkes in the set-up position;

FIGURE 4 is a section of the interlock members shown in the section of FIGURE 3 corresponding to an intermediate position on the flukes;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic plan view of an anehor fluke at a stage in its construction; and,

FIGURE 6 is an exploded view of a further embodiment of the invention.

Frorn FIGURES 1 to 4 it Will be seen that the anchor III according to the invention comprises an anchor shank III having a ring 12 at one end thereof for rfastening of the anchor chain (net shown), end a cross-member 13 extending from shank 11 intermediate its ends and norma] thereto for ensuring positive engagernent of the anchor II) in known manner. At the other end of shank 11 tubular mernber 14 is welded substantially norrnal hereto for attachrnent of anchor flukes 15 as described below.

Each flirke 15 Will be seen to be of channel-sh-aped cross-section along a substantial portion of its length, the Web 16 hereof being extended to provide a blunt point 17 at the free end thereof. Apertures 18 are provided in the opposite flange portion 19 of each fluke 15 in registration With the opposite encls of tubular member 14, and bolt 20 is adapted to pass therethrongh for swingably fastening flukes 15 on shank 11. Flukes 15 are thus rendered swingable between a set-up position extending from shank 11 at an angle thereto, corresponding to the exploded view of FIGURE I, and a quick release position aligned With shank II as shown in FIGURE 2.

In order to restrain swinging of flukes 15 beyond a predetermined critical anglo shoulders 1614 are formed on Webs 16 oriented to engage sbank Il on opposite sides thereof when flukes 15 are in the set-up position.

In order to maintain flukes 15 in their set-up position interlock means are provided in the form of protruding male stud members 21 and ternarie recess members 22 tormed on respective flange portions 19 of flukes 15, for enga-gement With and disengagement from one another on swinging of flukes 15 into and out of the set-up position as aforesaid.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate respectively the engaged and disengaged position of male and fernale members 2I and 22 and t Will be understood that flange portions 9 of flukes 15 incorporate a certain degree of resilience perrnitting flexing towards and away from one another, male me-rnbers 21 exerting a camming aetion forcing them apart for this purpose.

From the foregoing description it Will be apparent the t flukes 15 are particularly suitable for manufacture frorn sheet metal utilizing economical mass production techniques suoli as stamping out in blank forrn as shown in FIGURE 5 and subsequently folding into the channel shaped cross-section illustrated. In this connection it is noted that steel sheet of between 16 to Il gauge has proved suitable for the production of ancbor flukes 15 having adequate holding power for a small craft of from 15 to 20 feet in length.

An alternative embodirnent of the invention is shown in FIGURE 6 Which Will be seen to comprise an anchor shank 23 having art aperture 24 formed in the end thereo-f zfor attachrnent of anchor flukes 25 there'to.

Anchor flukes 25 have a generally t;shaped crosssection formed of sheet metal and are provided with apertures 26 in their flange portions 27 in reaistration Witli aperture 24 in shank 23. Bolt 28 is provided for passing ther through and swingably fastening the same for swinging between tl1eir set-up position corresponding to the position of flukes 25 shown in FIGURE 6 and their quick release position corresponding to the position -of anchor flukes 15 shown in FIGURE 2.

In order to maintain anchor flukes 25 in their set-up position interlock means are provided in the form of apertures 29 adapted and oriented for alignrnent Wlren in the set-up position, and slrear pin 30 passing therethrough and locking flukes 25 in their set-up position under normal anchoring stresses but being designed to fracture under abnormal stresses.

In operation anchor flukes 15 are swung about bel: 26 by band into their set-up position, male stud mernbers 21 causing flange portions 19 to flex away from one another and snapping firrnly into female: recess members 22 When they are brought into registration With one another, the inherent resilience of flange portions I9 locking them in this position and preventing inadvertent disengagernent thereof and With shoulders 15a of webs 16 engaging opposite sides of shank II and limiting movement of flukes 15 relative thereto.

Anchor 10 may then be lowered in the normal way, cross-member 13 forcing one or other of flnkes 15 to bite into the sea or river bed in known manner. It Will be understood that the grip of male and female members 21 and 22 is adequate to enable anchor in to be used in this way, the strain on anchor III in anv event being generally reduced bv the weiaht of the anchor chain or rope (not shown) which, in the majoritv ot cases. Will measnre at least three tirnes the depth of the water in which the craft (not shown is lvna. thus permittina the formation of a catenary of cnain between itself and :anchor 13.

When it is desired to recover or weigh anchor 1% the chain is shortenec'l until the craft lies directly over anchor 10 at which time one or other of flukes 15 will generally have twisted loose from the sea bed permitting anchor 10 to be hauled in.

In che event that a fluke 15 is caught around some underwater obstruction or is usually securely lodged in -the sea bed a sharp pull verically upwarcls on the anchor chain Will generally be suffieient t0 force male and fernale members 21 and 22 to become disengaged thus permitting flukes 15 to swing downwz:dly into their quick release position aligned With shank 11 and enabling anchcr 10 to be readily freed fmm the obstrucion and recovered.

Where larger craft are concerned anchor 16 may be of such size as to render this type of manipulation impractical and in sucb cases male and female members 21 and 22 can generally be disengaged by mtoring ahead drectly over and past tbe anchor 1% at a suicable speed.

The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the inventlon and is here made by way of example only ancl he invention is not limited to the specific features shown but contemplates all such variations as come Within the spirit ci che invention a-s defined by the following clairns.

What I claim is:

1. A11 anchor for small craft and the like adapted for dislodgment from underwater obstructions ancl comprising: an anchor shank; lime fastening means at one end of said shank; a pair of anchor flukes at the other end of said shank; said flukes being swingably mountecl for swing ing between a set-up position extending at an angle from said shank end on opposite sides thereof and a quickrelease position substantally aligned therewith; and male and female interlocking members formed on said flukes, a male member of one said fluke being ali gned for engagement With a female member of the other said fluke when said flukes are in their set-up position and being release-tale therefrom in response to abnormal stresses to perrnt align ment of said flukes in cheir quick-release position.

2. An anchor for small craft and the like adapted for dislodgement from underwater obstructions as clamed in clairn 1 including ;a cross-mernber extending ire-m said shank intermediate its ends and substantially normal hereto and to the axis of said flukes in their set-up position.

3. A11 anchor far small craft and tle ike adapted for dislo-dgement from underwater obstructions as claimed in claim 1 including a tubular member fastened to said anchor shank across the end thereof adjacent sad flukes and substantially normal thereo; apertures 0rrned in saicl flukes in registration Wlh tbe axis of said tubular member; and fastening means passing therethrough fo: swingably mounting said anchor flukes as aforesaid.

4. An anchor for small craft and the lilce adapted for dislodgement from underwater obstructions as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said anchor fiuke is forrned o-f sheet metal fclded ino a channel cross-secton; one end of each said fluke being formed by an endwise extension 01; the web of said chanhel and constituting a blunt point therefor; the other said end of each said luke being provided With one pair of aligned apertures in respective flange portions of said channel for fastexiing thereof to said anchor shank; and being further provided With male and female interlock members joined in respective flange portions, said members being spaced frorn sad apertures afores aid and aligned With one another; the male member of one said fluke being engageable With and disengageable from the :female member of the other said fluke by flexing of said flange portons thereof in response to swinging m0vement of at least one of said flukes about the axis of its respective sacl apertures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,071,057 Kantomma Aug. 26, 1913 2,075,827 Northrp et al. Apr. 6, 1937 2,711,150 Ogg June 21, 1955 2,725,842 Norris et al. Dec. 6, 1955 2,990,799 Morgan et al. Iuly 4, 1961 

1. AN ANCHOR FOR SMALL CRAFT AND THE LIKE ADAPTED FOR DISLODGMENT FROM UNDERWATER OBSTRUCTIONS AND COMPRISING: AN ANCHOR SHANK; LINE FASTENING MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID SHANK; A PAIR OF ANCHOR FLUKES AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SHANK; SAID FLUKES BEING SWINGABLY MOUNTED FOR SWINGING BETWEEN A SET-UP POSITION EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE FROM SAID SHANK END ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF AND A QUICKRELEASE POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED THEREWITH; AND MALE AND FEMALE INTERLOCKING MEMBERS FORMED ON SAID FLUKES, A MALE MEMBER OF ONE SAID FLUKE BEING ALIGNED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A FEMALE MEMBER OF THE OTHER SAID FLUKE WHEN SAID FLUKES ARE IN THEIR SET-UP POSITION AND BEING RELEASABLE THEREFROM IN RESPONSE TO ABNORMAL STRESSES TO PERMIT ALIGNMENT OF SAID FLUKES IN THEIR QUICK-RELEASE POSITION. 